1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for performing chemical and biological analyses. More particularly, the present invention relates to the design and use of an analyzer system which employs analytical substrates evaluated in a base unit, where an adapter is used as an interface between the substrate and the base unit.
Numerous systems and instruments are available for performing chemical, clinical, and environmental analyses of chemical and biological specimens. Conventional systems may employ a variety of detection devices for monitoring a chemical or physical change which is related to the composition or other characteristic of the specimen being tested. Such instruments include spectrophotometers, fluorometers, light detectors, radioactive counters, magnetometers, galvanometers, reflectometers, ultrasonic detectors, temperature detectors, pressure detectors, mephlometers, electrophoretic detectors, PCR systems, LCR systems, and the like. Such instruments are often combined with electronic support systems, such as microprocessors, timers, video displays, LCD displays, input devices, output devices, and the like, in a stand-alone analyzer. Such analyzers may be adapted to receive a sample directly but will more usually be designed to receive a sample placed on a sample-receiving substrate, such as a dipstick, cuvette, analytical rotor or the like. Usually, the sample-receiving substrate will be made for a single use (i.e. will be disposable), and the analyzer will include the circuitry, optics, sample manipulation, and other structure necessary for performing the assay on the substrate. As a result, most analyzers are intended to work only with a single type of sample-receiving substrate and are not readily adaptable to be used with other substrates.
Recently, a new class sample-receiving substrate has been developed, referred to as xe2x80x9cmicrofluidicxe2x80x9d systems. Microfluidic substrates have networks of chambers connected by channels which have mesoscale dimensions, where at least one dimension is usually between 0.1 xcexcm and 500 xcexcm. Such microfluidic substrates may be fabricated using photolithographic techniques similar to those employed in the semiconductor industry, and the resulting devices can be used to perform a variety of sophisticated chemical and biological analytical techniques. Microfluidic analytical technology has a number of advantages, including the ability to employ very small sample sizes, typically on the order of nanoliters. The substrates may be produced at a relatively low cost, and can be formatted to perform numerous specific analytical operations, including mixing, dispensing, valving, reactions, and detections.
Because of the variety of analytical techniques and potentially complex sample flow patterns that may be incorporated into particular microfluidic test substrates, significant demands may be placed on the analytical units which support the test substrates. The analytical units not only have to manage the direction and timing of flow through the network of channels and reservoirs on the substrate, they may also have to provide one or more physical interactions with the samples at locations distributed around the substrate, including heating, cooling, exposure to light or other radiation, detection of light or other emissions, measuring electrical/electrochemical signals, pH, and the like. The flow control management may also comprise a variety of interactions, including the patterned application of voltage, current, or power to the substrate (for electrokinetic flow control), or the application pressure, acoustic energy or other mechanical interventions for otherwise inducing flow.
It can thus be seen that a virtually infinite number of specific test formats may be incorporated into microfluidic test substrates. Because of such variety and complexity, many if not most of the test substrates will require specifically configured analyzers in order to perform a particular test. Indeed, it is possible that particular test substrates employ more than one analyzer for performing different tests. The need to provide one dedicated analyzer for every substrate and test, however, will significantly reduce the flexibility and cost advantages of the microfluidic systems.
It would therefore be desirable to provide improved analytical systems and methods which overcome or substantially mitigate at least some of the problems set forth above. In particular, it would be desirable to provide analytical systems including base analytical units which can support a number of different microfluidic or other test substrates having substantially different flow patterns, chemistries, and other analytical characteristics. It would be particularly desirable to provide analytical systems where the cost of modifying a base analytical unit to perform different tests on different test substrates is significantly reduced.
2. Description of the Background Art
Microfluidic devices for analyzing samples are described in the following patents and published patent applications: U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,498,392; 5,486,335; and 5,304,487; and WO 96/04547. An analytical system having an analytical module which connects to an expansion receptacle of a general purpose computer is described in WO 95/02189. A sample typically present on an analytical rotor or other sample holder, may be placed in the receptacle and the computer used to control analysis of the sample in the module. Chemical analysis systems are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,510,082; 5,501,838; 5,489,414; 5,443,790; 5,344,326; 5,344,349; 5,270,006; 5,219,526; 5,049,359; 5,030,418; and 4,919,887; European published applications EP 299 521 and EP 6 031; and Japanese published applications JP 3-101752; JP 3-094158; and JP 49-77693.
The disclosure of the present application is related to the following patents and co-pending applications, the full disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference, application No. 60/015,498 (provisional), filed on Apr. 16, 1996; and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,942,443, 5,779,868 5,800,690, and 5,699,157.
The present invention overcomes at least some of the deficiencies described above by providing analytical and preparatory systems and methods which employ an adapter to interface between a sample substrate and an analytical base unit. The sample substrate is usually a microfluidic substrate but could be any other sample substrate capable of receiving test specimen(s) or starting material(s) for processing or providing a detectable signal, where the base unit manages sample flow, reagent flow, and other aspects of the analytical and/or preparatory technique(s) performed on the substrate. The adapter allows a single type of base unit, i.e. a base unit having a particular configuration, to interface with a large number of test and other substrates having quite different configurations and to manage numerous specific analytical and preparatory techniques on the substrates with little or no reconfiguration of the base unit itself.
The methods and apparatus will find use with both analytical and preparatory techniques. By xe2x80x9canalytical,xe2x80x9d it is meant that the assay or process is intended primarily to detect and/or quantitate an analyte or analytes in a test specimen. By xe2x80x9cpreparatory,xe2x80x9d it is meant that the process is intended primarily to produce one or more products from one or more starting materials or reagents. The remaining description relates mainly to the analytical methods and devices, but for the most part, all technology described will be equally useful for preparing materials for other subsequent uses.
In a first aspect, the present invention provides an analytical system comprising a base unit having an attachment region with a base interface array including at least one interface component therein. An adapter that is configured to be removably attached to the attachment region of the base unit and has an adapter-base interface array which also includes an interface component. The adapter-base interface array mates with the base interface array when the adapter is attached to the base unit, and at least some of the interface components in each of the arrays will couple or mate with each other. The adapter further includes a sample substrate attachment region having an adapter-sample substrate interface array therein. The adapter-sample substrate interface array will usually also include at least one interface component (but in some cases could act primarily to position interface component(s) on the base units relative to interface component(s) on the sample substrate). A sample substrate is configured to be removably attached to the sample substrate attachment region of the adapter and itself includes a sample substrate interface array which usually includes at least one interface component. The interface component(s) in the sample substrate interface array will mate with corresponding interface component(s) in the adapter-sample substrate interface array and/or in the base interface array when the sample substrate is attached to the sample substrate attachment region.
By providing suitable interface components in each of the interface arrays, power and/or signal connections may be made between the base unit and the sample substrate in a virtually infinite number of patterns. In some cases, the base unit will provide only power and signal connections to the adapter, while the adapter will provide a relatively complex adapter-sample substrate interface array for managing flow, other operational parameters, and detection on the sample substrate. In other cases, however, the base interface array on the base unit may be more complex, including for example light sources, detectors, and/or high voltage power, and the adapter will be less sophisticated, often acting primarily to position the sample substrate relative to interface components on the base unit, channeling voltages, and allowing direct communication between the base unit and the sample substrate.
Exemplary interface components include electrical power sources, analog signal connectors, digital signal connectors, energy transmission sources, energy emission detectors, other detectors and sensors, and the like. Energy transmission sources may be light sources, acoustic energy sources, heat sources, cooling sources, pressure sources, and the like. Energy emission detectors include light detectors, fluorometers, UV detectors, radioactivity detectors, heat detectors (thermometers), flow detectors, and the like. Other detectors and sensors may be provided for measuring pH, electrical potential, current, and the like. It will be appreciated that the interface components will often be provided in pairs where a component in one array is coupled or linked to a corresponding component in the mating array in order to provide for the transfer of power, signal, or other information. The interface components, however, need not have such paired components, and often energy transmission sources or emission detectors will be provided without a corresponding interface component in the mating interface array.
The base unit, adapter and sample substrate will be configured so that they may be physically joined to each other to form the analytical system. For example, the attachment region in the base unit may be a cavity, well, slot, or other receptacle which receives the adapter, where the dimensions of the receptacle are selected to mate with the adapter. Similarly, the attachment region on the adapter may comprise a receptacle, well, slot, or other space intended to receive the sample substrate and position the substrate properly relative to the adapter and or base unit. The sample substrate will preferably employ mesoscale fluid channels and reservoirs, i.e. where the channels have at least one dimension in the range from 0.1 xcexcm to 500 xcexcm, usually from 1 xcexcm to 100 xcexcm. The present invention, however, is not limited to the particular manner in which the base unit, adapter, and substrate are attached and/or to the particular dimensions of the flow channels on one sample substrate.
Although described thus far as a three-tiered system, it should be understood that the additional components or xe2x80x9ctiersxe2x80x9d could be utilized. For example, additional carriers or adapters could be utilized for providing additional interface(s), such as a carrier for the sample substrate, where the carrier would be mounted within or attached to the adapter which is received on the base unit. Similarly, the attachment region in the base unit which receives the adapter may comprise a discrete component which is itself removably or permanently affixed to the base unit. Formation of the attachment region using a discrete component is advantageous since it facilitates standardization of the system. For example, the adapter-attachment region component could be manufactured separately, optionally at a single location, and/or otherwise prepared to strict specifications, both of which would help assure that the base units which incorporate such standardized attachment regions will be compatible with all corresponding adapters. The standardized adapter-attachment region could also be adapted to interconnect with other components of the base unit, such as heaters, cooling blocks, pin connections, and the like, thus facilitating interface with these elements. Thus, systems having four or more tiers fall within the scope of the present invention.
In a second aspect of the present invention, the analytical system comprises a base unit and a sample substrate, generally as described above. An adapter is configured to be removably attached to the attachment region of the base unit and includes an attachment region to removably receive the sample substrate. The adapter holds the sample substrate in a fixed position relative to the base unit and provides either (i) a connection path from an interface component in the base interface array to the substrate or (ii) a connection path from an interface component in the sample substrate array to the base unit. In this aspect of the present invention, the adapter can act primarily to position a sample substrate relative to the interface array in the base unit. For example, if the base unit interface array includes a light source and/or light detector, the adapter can properly position the sample substrate relative to the light source/detector in order to perform a desired measurement. The adapter could optionally but not necessarily provide further interface capabilities between the sample substrate and the base unit.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, adapters are provided for use in combination with base units and sample substrates, as described above. The adapter comprises an adapter body having an adapter-base interface array including at least one of power and signal connector(s) disposed to mate with corresponding connector(s) in the base interface array when the adapter is attached to the attachment region on the base unit. The adapter further includes a sample substrate attachment region having an adapter-sample substrate interface array including at least flow biasing connectors disposed to mate with corresponding regions in the sample substrate interface array when the sample substrate is attached to the attachment region of the adapter. The flow biasing connectors will commonly be electrodes for electrokinetic flow control in mesoscale and other microfluidic sample substrates, but could also be acoustic, pressure, or mechanical flow-producing components. The adapter-sample substrate interface array will frequently include interface components in addition to the flow biasing connectors, such as radiation emission and detection components positioned to interface with particular regions of the sample substrates.
The base unit may be self-contained, i.e. it may include all digital and/or analog circuitry as well as user input/output interfaces which are necessary for controlling an assay and producing assay results from the system. Often, however, it will be preferable to interface the base unit with a general purpose or conventional computer, where the computer can provide some or all of the control analysis, and/or reporting function(s) as well as some or all of the user interface. Usually, the computer will be a standard personal computer or workstation which operates on a standard operating system, such as DOS, Windows(copyright) 95, Windows(copyright) NT, UNIX, Macintosh, and the like. The computer will be able to provide a number of standard user input devices, such as a keyboard, hard disk, floppy disk, CD reader, as well as user outputs, such as screens, printers, floppy disks, writable CD output, and the like. Use of the computer is particularly advantageous since it can significantly reduce the cost of the base unit and allow significant upgrading of the computer component of the system while using the same base unit. Despite these advantages, in some instances it may be desirable to incorporate the interface and digital circuitry of a computer into the base unit of the present invention, allowing all of the capabilities of a conventional digital computer, but with perhaps less flexibility.
When the system of the present invention is controlled via digital circuitry, i.e. using a separate conventional computer interfaced with the base unit or using digital control circuitry incorporated within the base unit, it will usually be desirable to provide at least a portion of the operating instructions associated with any particular adapter and/or any particular sample substrate and assay format in a computer-readable form, i.e. on a conventional computer storage medium, such as a floppy disk, a compact disk (CD ROM), tape, flash memory, or the like. The medium will store computer readable code setting forth the desired instructions, where the instructions will enable the computer (which may be a separate or integral computer) to interface with the base unit and to control an assay performed by the base unit upon the sample present on a sample substrate held by an adapter received on the base unit. The present invention thus comprises the computer program itself in the form of a tangible medium, e.g. disk, CD, tape, memory, etc., which may be used in combination with the system of the present invention. The present invention further comprises systems which include an adapter as set forth above in combination with the tangible medium storing the computer instructions described above. The present invention still further comprises systems which are combinations of one or more sample substrates as generally set forth above, together with a tangible medium setting forth computer readable code comprising instructions as set forth above.
The computer program may be provided to the user pre-loaded onto the desired medium, usually a floppy disk or a CD ROM, or may alternatively be downloaded onto the medium by the user from a central location via a network, over phone lines, or via other available communication and transmission means. The program will then be incorporated onto the medium and be available for use in the systems and methods of the present invention.
In a still further aspect in the present invention, a method for configuring an analytical system comprises providing a base unit having an attachment region including at least one interface component therein. An adapter is removably attached to the attachment region of the base unit so that an interface component on the adapter mates with a corresponding interface component on the base unit. The adapter includes a sample substrate attachment region having at least one interface component therein, and a sample substrate is removably attached to the sample substrate attachment region on the adapter so that an interface component on the sample substrate mates with a corresponding interface component on the adapter. Usually, but not necessarily, the adapter is removably attached to the base unit by placing the adapter within a receptacle on the base unit, and the sample substrate is removably attached to the adapter by placing the sample substrate within a receptacle on the adapter. The sample substrate will preferably be a microfluidic device having a plurality of channels connecting a plurality of reservoirs and including flow biasing regions positioned at one of the reservoirs and/or channels. The base unit may then direct or manage flow in the substrate by providing flow control signals to the adapter. The flow control signals energize flow biasing regions on the adapter whereby corresponding flow biasing regions on the substrate are energized to control flow through the channels and among the reservoirs. For example, the flow control may be effected by electrically biasing electrodes on the sample substrate to cause electrokinetic flow control. Alternatively, the energizing step may comprise acoustically driving the flow biasing regions on the sample substrate. Usually, the adapter will include electromagnetic radiation sources and detectors for signal generation and detection in a variety of analytical techniques. Any of the above control steps may be implemented by providing computer readable code to an integral or separate computer which controls the analytical system.